# Shortages: What is the hardest currently made tobacco to find?



## sounds7 (Mar 25, 2009)

I will mention a few and perhaps you could add others to the list.
1. Esoterica Tobacciana "Stonehaven"
2. Esoterica Tobacciana "Penzance"
3. Samuel Gawith "Full Virginia Flake"
4. Samuel Gawith "1792"
5. J.F. Germain "Brown Flake"
6. J.F. Germain "Special Latakia Flake"
7. Peterson "Irish Flake"
8. Butera "Kingfisher"
9. Dunhills but especially Early Morning Pipe, Night Cap and Royal Yahct


----------



## CWL (Mar 25, 2010)

I hear Bjarne's Flake de Luxe is pretty hard to find! 

Actually, around here in No. CA, you can still find quite a bit of SG and Dunhill tins in the B&Ms, just have to pay CA-taxed prices though. SG will probably run out, but I don't think Dunhill will ever be in real shortage again, now that Orlik and BAT know how popular it is in the USA.


----------



## sounds7 (Mar 25, 2009)

CWL said:


> I hear Bjarne's Flake de Luxe is pretty hard to find!


You bet it is but it is also out of production. I mean currently made as in why the heck isn't this stuff on shelves spurring on the economy? For me its hands down "Stonehaven" that stuff has been rare for 10 years at least.

Edit: I also left Balkan Sasieni off the list. That one has been out of stock lately as well.


----------



## dj1340 (Mar 30, 2009)

Stonehaven for sure as well as just about any SG products


----------



## indigosmoke (Sep 1, 2009)

I vote for Stonehaven, Penzance, FVF and 1792. Shortages of these tobaccos are chronic and their production amounts small. I'm with Charles on the Dunhill. I think this is truly a temporaray shortage caused by pent up demand from the tobacco being off the market for a couple of years. When it hit the US people went crazy. Kind of like what would happen if Edgeworth Sliced suddenly reappeared after months and months of anticipation. I think we'll see a pretty steady supply when the next shipments arrive. For example, smokingpipes.com alone has ordered 9,000 tins for their next shipment, nearly twice the size of what they had in December! It is produced in a large modern plant by modern methods. Same with Peterson. Particularly with Irish Flake, I think it will be back and in general not that hard to find. It's a very strong blend, and although it has a good, loyal following, I don't think it will ever acheive the popularity of some less strong VAs and VaBurs.


----------



## Commander Quan (May 6, 2003)

I am pretty baffled by the lack of SG products. I've heard all the senereos; there was a flood in Kendel, problems with the tins, ancient machinery breaking, and new packaging regulations to name a few but up until last spring there was never a shortage of product, and I would think that any of those issues should have been worked through by now. I realize it's a small company but so is Cornell and Diehl and they produce over 200 blends.


----------



## InsidiousTact (Dec 3, 2010)

It's gotta be stonehaven. Even I was able to get my hands on some tins of FVF, and then there were the recent notifications of located penzance. It appears that if stonehaven has been in stock anywhere for the past 6 months, people are keeping it hush-hush.


----------



## Requiem (Dec 6, 2008)

Considering Stonehaven is sold only in the US, while SG's can be find all over the world (and I've never had any problems buying SG's in Spain, Germany or the UK), Stonehaven seems to be the one.


----------



## tobacmon (May 17, 2007)

Stoney unless you have the kind of friends we have here. But the Dunhill EMP and Scottish Mixture was not both at one tobacconist unless you call Shuckins a tobacconist!


----------



## CWL (Mar 25, 2010)

Hmmm, since many people voted for Penzance, FVF, 1792 as their hard-to-find blends, they must be sitting on stacks of Stonehaven.

If any of you want to trade your Stoney for any of these other baccys, give me a holler!


----------



## sounds7 (Mar 25, 2009)

This stuff? Haven't seen any. Other than what I got a couple summers ago and Im holding tight to that. Tight Tight Tight.:boink:


----------



## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

Other: Hamborger Veermaster, although it seems to have shown up this week at a few places.


----------



## indigosmoke (Sep 1, 2009)

MarkC said:


> Other: Hamborger Veermaster, although it seems to have shown up this week at a few places.


It's weird, but every time I see that one written I can't help but read it as Hamburger Beermiester.


----------



## sounds7 (Mar 25, 2009)

MarkC said:


> Other: Hamborger Veermaster, although it seems to have shown up this week at a few places.


Yep they got it a Iwan Ries at the moment. Ive never tried it though.Any good?


----------



## Cpuless (Aug 8, 2009)

I bought some at a local B&M this fall. Its pretty good. Sweet and a bit fruity but I found it tasty and not overpowering.


----------



## Mitch (Oct 2, 2009)

I haven't seen any Stoney available in a while.


----------



## mugwump (Jun 7, 2007)

From what I'm hearing Butera Kingfisher is no more so I'll go with that one as hard to find.


----------



## Jessefive (Oct 21, 2009)

I thought I read that Kingfisher was discontinued. I've been looking for that since I got a sample in the newbie trade a year or 2 back, and I've never seen it in stock. So just to be contrary, I'll vote that. Though I think Stonehaven gets the real crown.


----------



## sounds7 (Mar 25, 2009)

mugwump said:


> From what I'm hearing Butera Kingfisher is no more so I'll go with that one as hard to find.


Wasn't sure on it I found it on one site and others said it was temporarily out of stock. I had heard rumor it was being discontinued. I may have to snag the tins I found if thats the case. Im not a huge fan of it but every once in a while it is a nice change up.


----------



## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

sounds7 said:


> Yep they got it a Iwan Ries at the moment. Ive never tried it though.Any good?


This is going to sound nuts considering I've ordered six tins of it, but I don't know! I've had four tins; two were absolutely fantastic. It seemed similar to FVF, but I liked it even better. The other two were something completely different; those two are in a jar in the cellar...I'm hoping it'll turn into something , anyway. I'm convinced the two bad ones were factory mistakes; there's no way that was a straight virginia. Assuming the 'good' ones are the real thing, I highly recommend it. I'll know soon enough, I suppose. And, if the other stuff is the REAL Hamborger, then you can pick up a tin from me dirt cheap!


----------



## laloin (Jun 29, 2010)

I vote for stonehaven. I have yet to see it in stock with anybody. any of the SG blends. but I did snag some when the last shipment landed in Oct last year. I'm really gonna have to found something else to smoke. caz only have a couple of flakes left of stony and it's sealed and labelled to be broken only in dire emerengy hahahha
troy


----------



## JustOneMoreStick (Sep 21, 2009)

I am just getting into it and have bought a tin of Man's Best Friend Blend that I am trying out and my local tobacconist dosent have anything on the list but I am trying a few samples out.


----------



## ultramag (Aug 23, 2007)

Commander Quan said:


> I am pretty baffled by the lack of SG products. I've heard all the senereos; there was a flood in Kendel, problems with the tins, ancient machinery breaking, and new packaging regulations to name a few but up until last spring there was never a shortage of product, and I would think that any of those issues should have been worked through by now. I realize it's a small company but so is Cornell and Diehl and they produce over 200 blends.


I don't really think it's baffling in the least. They had a couple hiccups and got behind and now people won't ease up on the hoarding. You've got folks who've never even had the stuff buying dozens of tins of one blend, the few who got a taste and thought it was the holy grail doing the same, and SG is NOT going to make more. It was mentioned in more or less a blurb in I think the editorial section in _Pipes & Tobaccos _magazine a couple issues back that SG has no desire to increase it's production. They sell out what they can make on paid for machinery with tried and true methodology and have no intention of changing the business model. Probably smart business overall, especially in todays economy and in their case compounded with the uncertainty surrounding the future of tobacco. It sucks, but until the mindset of buying all that's available subsides I don't think it's gonna be in stock at the big online suppliers. I say online suppliers not to pick on them, but because every B&M I regularly go to has every blend in this poll available with the exception of I know Stonehaven and possibly Kingfisher. Due to, I guess, higher costs and not being in the spotlight they seem to always have a stock on hand.

Irish Flake is a good example right now. Everybody is just at a loss because there's no Irish Flake. There's Irish Flake all over the place, just not at the big two or three places everybody can make a run on. I went for a walk today and tripped over a tin. :nod:


----------



## indigosmoke (Sep 1, 2009)

ultramag said:


> Irish Flake is a good example right now. Everybody is just at a loss because there's no Irish Flake. There's Irish Flake all over the place, just not at the big two or three places everybody can make a run on. I went for a walk today and tripped over a tin. :nod:


+1 As witnessed by the fact my wife had no trouble picking some up at Rich's in Portland when whe was there on business.


----------



## sounds7 (Mar 25, 2009)

You can find it if you look long and hard enough. I try to find some of these tobacco shops in larger cities that do not have the option of internet buying and call and tell them to be on the lookout for this or that. I scored the Stonehaven that way a couple summers ago. Also got ahold of some Murrays vintage Dunhill the same way before the "new" Dunhills made it back to the states. You can buy Penzance right now somewhere if you look hard enough.


----------



## commonsenseman (Apr 18, 2008)

indigosmoke said:


> I vote for Stonehaven, Penzance, FVF and 1792. Shortages of these tobaccos are chronic and their production amounts small. I'm with Charles on the Dunhill. I think this is truly a temporaray shortage caused by pent up demand from the tobacco being off the market for a couple of years. When it hit the US people went crazy. Kind of like what would happen if Edgeworth Sliced suddenly reappeared after months and months of anticipation. I think we'll see a pretty steady supply when the next shipments arrive. For example, smokingpipes.com alone has ordered 9,000 tins for their next shipment, nearly twice the size of what they had in December! It is produced in a large modern plant by modern methods. Same with Peterson. Particularly with Irish Flake, I think it will be back and in general not that hard to find. It's a very strong blend, and although it has a good, loyal following, I don't think it will ever acheive the popularity of some less strong VAs and VaBurs.


Agree 100%



sounds7 said:


> You can find it if you look long and hard enough. I try to find some of these tobacco shops in larger cities that do not have the option of internet buying and call and tell them to be on the lookout for this or that. I scored the Stonehaven that way a couple summers ago. Also got ahold of some Murrays vintage Dunhill the same way before the "new" Dunhills made it back to the states. You can buy Penzance right now somewhere if you look hard enough.


Road trip time?


----------



## sounds7 (Mar 25, 2009)

commonsenseman said:


> Agree 100%
> 
> Road trip time?


I just took a road trip, about 5 miles from here to my local Tinderbox. 
Score: 1 8oz sealed bag of Stonehaven, and one tin of 1792.
I guess it pays to be loyal to the local vender sometimes as well. He certainly looked out for me this time. I havent seen Stonehaven for two years and now as soon as I make this thread Pow!


----------



## CWL (Mar 25, 2010)

Sure wish my local B&Ms had Stonehaven... went to one of the 3 B&Ms nearest where I live and bought up their Dunhill EMP & SG Balkan Flake. I left the other Dunhills and SG tins for other patrons.


----------



## sounds7 (Mar 25, 2009)

CWL said:


> Sure wish my local B&Ms had Stonehaven... went to one of the 3 B&Ms nearest where I live and bought up their Dunhill EMP & SG Balkan Flake. I left the other Dunhills and SG tins for other patrons.


I am thinking maybe the "Esoterica's" are coming in the country now. Keep an eye out. My B&M never has this kind of tobacco available although he does get the Penzance and Samuel Gawiths occasionally.I told him to keep an eye out for more so if I score again I can hook you guys up. I just need to keep so much on hand so I don't run out but I'm not a hoarder by any means of the word.


----------

